Cartridge feed system



Jan. 14, 1969 D. FINDLAY CARTRIDGE FEED SYSTEM Sheet Filed May 9, 1967 INVENTI'OR DAV/0 FINDLAY BY 7/- W24;

ATTORNEY Jan. 14, 1969 D. FINDLAY CARTRIDGE FEED SYSTEM Sheet 3 orz Filed May 9, 1967 /NVE/VTOR. DAV/D FINDLAY ATTORNEY United States Patent G 8 (Zlaims ABSTRACT OF THE DKSCLOSURE A cartidge feed system wherein a transfer roller is provided to transfer cartridges from a belt to a feed wheel. The feed wheel transfers cartridges from the transfer roller to the breech block of the firearm. The feed wheel is provided with an inner cartridge receiving station and an outer cartridge transferring station. Cam means are also provided for moving a cartridge from the inner station to the outer station as the feed wheel rotates. The cartridge transfer point between the transfer roller and feed wheel is spaced 180 from the transfer point between the feed Wheel and the breech block.

This invention relates generally to a cartridge feed system. More particularly, this invention relates to a cartridge feed system for transferring cartridges from a cartridge belt to the breech block of a rapid fire firearm such as a machine a gun.

When using a belt to feed cartridges to a firearm it is desirable that the distance between adjacent cartridges in the betl (belt pitch) be as short as possible so that a maximum number of cartridges can be contained in a minimum amount of space.

This particular invention is adapted for use in the case of a multi-barrel gun which requires a cartridge to be fed to it each instant the barrel is ready to receive a cartridge for firing. In many cases, the space between adjacent barrels is different from the pitch of the belt. The present invention provides a means in such an instance for spacing the cartridges during transfer from a belt to the firearm so that they are in proper position to be received by the firearm.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cartridge transfer mechanism wherein the transfer of the cartridge from a cartridge belt to the firearm takes place smoothly and continuously.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a catridge transfer mechanism wherein there is no sudden acceleration of the cartridge during the transfer from the belt to the firearm in the case where the firearm requires a spacing of adjacent cartridges different from the belt pitch.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a cartridge transfer system wherein the acceleration of the cartridge takes place over a relatively long period of time during the transfer of a cartridge from a belt to the firearm when the spacing of adjacent cartridges in the firearm is different from the belt pitch.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent by reference to the following description and to the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic drawing of a cartridge feed system incorporating the pinciples of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1 with the addition of the drive means which were not shown in FIGURE 1 for the purpose of clarity; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

BAZEAW Patented Jan. 141, 1969 Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGURE 1, the feed system of the present invention includes a transfer roller 2 adapted to transfer cartridges 4 from the cartridge belt 6 to a feed Wheel 8. The feed wheel 8 is interposed between the transfer roller 2 and the breech block 12 of the firearm and transfers the cartridges 4 in a special manner from the transfer roller 2 to the firearm.

The cartridge belt 6 may be of any conventional design and, as shown in FIGURE 2, may include a pair of cartridge gripping arms 14 as Well as an eyelet 16. A stationary link stripping cam '18 is provided in the vicinity of the transfer roller 2 and adapted to extend through the eyelet 16 in the cartridge belt 6.

The transfer roller 2 includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced, semicircular cutouts 20 in its side portion forming cartridge receiving stations for the reception of cartridges 4 from the belt 6. The semicircular cutouts 20 do not extend the entire thickness of the transfer roller 2 so that a base portion 22 at the bottom of the cutouts 20 is provided. The number of the cutouts 20 should be equal to the number of barrels in the multibarrel firearm and the circumferential spacing between adjacent cutouts 20 should be equal to the belt pitch, which is the distance between the center of two adjacent cartridges 6 in the belt. A circle in a plane perpendicular to the axes of the cutouts 20 and passing through all of the axes has a fixed radius, hereinafter referred to as the first radius R1. This radius is determined by the number of cutouts 20 needed and the belt pitch.

The feed wheel 8 comprises a first portion 24 of reduced diameter and a second portion 26 of larger diameter which extends under the transfer roller 2. The side of the feed Wheel 8 is provided with a series of cutouts 28 equal in number to the number of cutouts 22 in the transfer roller 2. The innermost portion 30 of each cutout 28 is semicircular forming an inner cartridge receiving station for the reception of a cartridge 4 from the transfer roller 2. A circle drawn in a plane perpendicular to the axes of innermost portion 30' and passing through all of the axes has a radius equal to the first radius R1 and is tangential to the circle of the transfer roller 2 at the point where a cartridge 4 is positioned in both cutouts 20 and 28.

The cutouts 28 do not extend the entire thickness of the feed wheel 8, leaving a base portion 32. The outermost edge of each base portion 32 is provided with a semicircular cutout 34 which forms an outer cartridge transferring station to transfer a cartridge 4 to the breech block 12, the axis of which is spaced from the center of the feed wheel 8,-a distance such that a circle in a plane perpendicular to all of such axes and passing through all of them is of a fixed radius, hereinafter called the second radius R2.

A stationary cartridge stripping member 36 is provided to insure that the cartridges 4 are stripped from the transfer roller 2 onto the feed wheel 8. Associated with the feed wheel 8 is a cartridge control cam 38 which is stationary in relation thereto and is so designed to move a cartridge 4 from its innermost position to its outermost position as the feed Wheel 8 rotates.

The breech block 12 of the multi-barrel firearm is adapted to cooperate with the feed wheel 8 at a point diametrically opposite the transfer roller 2. Any suitable type breech block may be provided and for purposes of illustration is shown as comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced arcuate projections 40 providing cartridge receiving stations and adapted to mesh with the cutouts 34 in the base portion 32 of the feed wheel 8. As viewed in FIGURE 2, the upper surfaces 42 of the arcuate portions 40 are at the same level as the upper surface of the base 32 of the feed wheel 8. A hook-like cartridge engaging member 44 is associated with each of 3 the arcuate sections of the breech block in a position to engage the rim of a cartridge 4. The number of such arcuate portions is equal to the number of barrels if used in a multi-barrel firearm and equal to the number of cutouts 28 in the feed wheel 8. When the cartridges 4 are properly received on the breech block 12, a circle perpendicular to the axis of the cartridges 4 and passing through all the axes is of a fixed radius dictated by the required number of arcuate cartridge receiving portions 44 on the breech block and the required spacing between adjacent cartridges 4 on the breech block. This radius dictates the dimension of the second radius R2 which must be of the same magnitude. The circle of the breech block 12 is tangent to the circle of the feed wheel 8 at midpoint of the meshing of the arcuate member 40 and cutout 34 in the base of the feed wheel.

A cartridge restraining member 46 extends from the cartridge control cam 38 in the direction of rotation of the breech block 12 to properly hold the cartridges 4 in position until they are ready to be fed into the cartridge receiving chamber in one of the barrels of the firearm. This member 46 is held stationary with respect to the rotating breech block 12.

A suitable drive system may be provided so that the transfer roller 2, feed wheel 8 and breech block 12 all rotate at the same speed. For this purpose, each of the transfer roller 2, feed wheel 8 and breech block '12 are mounted on a separate shaft 48, 50, 52 respectively, for rotation therewith. The shaft 48 of the transfer roller 2 may be connected to the shaft of the feed wheel 8 by means of a pulley and belt system 54 and the shaft of the feed wheel 8 may be operably connected to the shaft 52 of the breech block 12 by a similar pulley and belt arrangement 56. The pulleys must be all of the same diameter so that each shaft rotates at the same speed. It is to be understood that other type driving arrangements may be used, the only requirement being that the transfer roller 2, feed wheel 8 and breech block 12 all rotate at the same speed.

In operation, the cartridge belt 6 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 1, with the transfer roller 2, feed wheel 8 and breech block 12 rotating in the direction indicated by their respective arrows. When a cartridge 4 is received within the cutout 28 in the transfer roller 2 and stripped from the belt 6, it rotates in a counterclockwise direction as shown in FIGURE 1 until it is received within inner semicircular cutout 30 of the feed wheel 8.

By virtue of the cartridge stripping cam 36, the cartridge 4 rotates with the feed wheel 8 and, as soon as it clears the base portion 32 of the transfer roller 2, it drops down to the base portion 32 of the feed wheel 8. As the cartridge 4 rotates clockwise with the feed wheel 8, the case control cam 38 urges the cartridge 4 radially outwardly until, at the point where the cartridge 4 has been rotated 180, it has been moved outwardly to the point where its axis is aligned with the axis of the cutout 34 in the base portion 32 of the feed wheel 8 and thus, is moved onto one of the arcuate portions 40 of the breech block 12 and held in place by the hook member 44 engaging the rim. The cartridge 4 at this point will then rotate in a counterclockwise direction in its proper position in the breech block guided by the cartridge restraining member 46.

By way of illustration, and not intended to be limiting, if a 10 barrel firearm is being used and the belt pitch is .580 inch, and the breech block 12 of the firearm is required to rotate at 1,000 r.p.m. the transfer roller 2 and feed wheel 8 will also be rotating at 1,000 r.p.m. The radius R1 of a circle defined by the axis of the cutouts in the transfer roller 2 would be .923 inch and the tangential velocity of a cartridge 4 at the moment it was being transferred to the feed wheel 8 would be 8.05 feet per second. The arc length of two adjacent cutouts 34 in the base portion 28 of the feed wheel 8 must be equal to the arc length between the axis of adjacent cartridges 4 on the breech block '12 in the firearm which in this case is 1.131 inches which can be provided by using a second radius R2 of 1.800 inches. With these dimensions, the tangential velocity of a carrtidge 4 when it is transferred to the breech block 12 will be 15.7 feet per second.

Thus, the required acceleration to the cartridge case in accordance with this invention occurs while it moves outwards on the feed wheel 8 and takes place during a relatively long time so that the acceleration and consequent force on the cartridge 4 are kept low.

It will be apparent that many modifications and alterations of the above described system will readily suggest "themselves'to "one" skilled in the "artJThereforeit is intended that the scope of this invention be ascertained by reference to the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge feed system comprising a rotatable transfer roller adapted to receive cartridges from a belt and including a plurality of spaced cartridge receiving cutouts, a rotatable feed wheel for transferring cartridges from the transfer roller to the breech block of the firearm and including a plurality of spaced feed wheel cartridge receiving cutouts, each feed wheel cutout forming an inner cartridge receiving station whereat the cartridges are received from the transfer roller and an outer cartridge transferring station whereat a cartridge is in a position to be received by said breech block, said outer station being spaced from the axis of said feed wheel a greater distance than said inner station, a rotatable breech block having a plurality of spaced cartridge receiving stations for receiving cartridges from said feed wheel, the axis of rotation of said transfer roller, feed wheel and breech block all being parallel, the cartridge transfer point between said transfer roller and said feed wheel being spaced from the transfer point between the feed wheel and breech block, and means for moving a cartridge from said inner station to said outer station as said feed wheel rotates.

2. The feed system of claim 1 wherein the cartridge transfer point between said belt and said transfer roller is spaced 180 from the cartridge transfer point between the transfer roller and the feed wheel.

3. The feed system of claim 1 further including means for stripping a cartridge from the belt.

4. The feed system of claim 1 wherein the distance from the axis of the breech block to the axis of each of said cartridge receiving stations on said breech block is the same as the distance from the axis of the feed wheel to the axis of each of the cartridge transferring stations of said feed wheel, the distance between the axis of the transfer roller and the axes of each of the cartridge receiving stations of the feed wheel is the same as the distance from the axis of the transfer roller to the axes of each of the cartridge receiving cutouts on said transfer roller, and the arcuate spacing between the axes of adjacent cartridge receiving cutouts is the same as the spacing between the axis of cartridges on the belt.

5. The feed system of claim 4 further including means to insure that the transfer roller, feed wheel, and breech block all rotate at the same speed.

6. The feed system of claim 1 wherein the cartridge receiving cutout in said transfer roller is semicircular and extends only a portion of the thickness of said transfer roller leaving a base portion adapted to support the base of a cartridge, each of the cutouts in said feed wheel includes an inner semicircular portion forming said cartridge receiving station, the axes of which all lie in a circle which is tangential to a circle passing through all of the axes of the semicircular cutouts in said transfer roller, said cutout extending only a portion of the width of said feed wheel leaving a base portion except at its outermost edge where said cutout includes a semicircular cutout portion in said base portion forming said cartridge transferring station, and said breech block includes a plurality of semicircular cartridge receiving stations adapted to mesh with the semicircular cutouts in the base .of said feed wheel, the axes of the semicircular stations of said breech block all lying in a circle which is tangential to a circle passing through all the axes of said semicircular cutouts in said base portion of said feed wheel.

7. The feed system of claim 6 wherein the distance from the axis of the breech block to each of the axes of the semicircular cartridge receiving stations on said breech block is the same as the distance from the axis of the feed wheel to the axis of each of the semicircular cutouts forming the cartridge transferring station of said feed roller, the distance between the axis of the transfer roller and the axes of each of the semicircular cutout portions forming the cartridge receiving station of the feed wheel is the same as the distance from the axis of the transfer roller to the axis of each of the semicircular cutouts in said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,815,699 12/1957 Davis 89-33 3,277,787 10/1966 Brieger 8933 3,319,524 5/1967 Tassie 8933 3,333,506 8/1967 Henshaw et a1 89-33 SAMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner.

STEPHEN C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

